Ion beam sputtering with ion assisted deposition for coatings on chamber components

ABSTRACT

An article comprises a body and a conformal protective layer on at least one surface of the body. The conformal protective layer is a plasma resistant rare earth oxide film having a thickness of less than 1000 μm, wherein the plasma resistant rare earth oxide film consists essentially of 40 mol % to less than 100 mol % of Y 2 O 3 , over 0 mol % to 60 mol % of ZrO 2 , and 0 mol % to 9 mol % of Al 2 O 3 .

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a continuation application of U.S.application Ser. No. 15/711,885, filed Sep. 21, 2017, which is adivisional application of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/211,993, filedJul. 15, 2016, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,797,037, which is acontinuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/562,339, filed Dec. 5,2014, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,725,799, which claims the benefit under35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/912,961, filedDec. 6, 2013, all of which are herein incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present invention relate, in general, to chambercomponents having a thin film plasma resistant protective layer.

BACKGROUND

In the semiconductor industry, devices are fabricated by a number ofmanufacturing processes producing structures of an ever-decreasing size.Some manufacturing processes, such as plasma etch and plasma cleanprocesses, expose a substrate to a high-speed stream of plasma to etchor clean the substrate. The plasma may be highly corrosive, and maycorrode processing chambers and other surfaces that are exposed to theplasma. This corrosion may generate particles, which frequentlycontaminate the substrate that is being processed, contributing todevice defects.

As device geometries shrink, susceptibility to defects increases, andparticle contaminant requirements (i.e., on-wafer performance) becomemore stringent. To minimize particle contamination introduced by plasmaetch and/or plasma clean processes, chamber materials have beendeveloped that are resistant to plasmas. Examples of such plasmaresistant materials include ceramics composed of Al₂O₃, AlN, SiC, Y₂O₃,quartz, and ZrO2. Different ceramics provide different materialproperties, such as plasma resistance, rigidity, flexural strength,thermal shock resistance, and so on. Also, difference ceramics havedifferent material costs. Accordingly, some ceramics have superiorplasma resistance, other ceramics have lower costs, and still otherceramics have superior flexural strength and/or thermal shockresistance.

SUMMARY

In one example implementation, an article comprises a body and aconformal protective layer on at least one surface of the body. Theconformal protective layer is a plasma resistant rare earth oxide filmhaving a thickness of less than 1000 μm, wherein the plasma resistantrare earth oxide is selected from a group consisting of YF₃, Er₄Al₂O₉,ErAlO₃, and a ceramic compound comprising Y₄Al₂O₉ and a solid-solutionof Y₂O₃—ZrO₂.

In another example implementation, an article comprises a body and aconformal protective layer on at least one surface of the body. Theconformal protective layer is a plasma resistant rare earth oxide filmhaving a thickness of less than 1000 μm, wherein the plasma resistantrare earth oxide has a composition of 40-45 mol % of Y₂O₃, 5-10 mol % ofZrO₂, 35-40 mol % of Er₂O₃, 5-10 mol % of Gd₂O₃, and 5-15 mol % of SiO₂.

In another example implementation, an article comprises a body and aconformal protective layer on at least one surface of the body. Theconformal protective layer is a plasma resistant rare earth oxide filmhaving a thickness of less than 1000 μm, wherein the plasma resistantrare earth oxide has a composition selected from a group consisting of:an Er—Y composition, an Er—Al—Y composition, an Er—Y—Zr composition, andan Er—Al composition.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by wayof limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which likereferences indicate similar elements. It should be noted that differentreferences to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are notnecessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at leastone.

FIG. 1 depicts a sectional view of one embodiment of a processingchamber.

FIG. 2A depicts a deposition mechanism applicable to ion beam sputteringwith ion assisted deposition (IBS-IAD).

FIG. 2B depicts a schematic of an IBS-IAD apparatus.

FIGS. 3-4 illustrate cross sectional side views of articles covered byone or more thin film protective layers.

FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a process for forming one or moreprotective layers over a chamber component.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention provide an article such as aprocess kit ring, dielectric showerhead, electrostatic chuck (ESC), viewport, lid and/or nozzle or liners for an etch reactor having a thin filmprotective layer on one or more plasma facing surfaces of the article.The protective layer may have a thickness up to approximately 1000 μm,and may provide plasma corrosion resistance for protection of thearticle. The protective layer may be formed on the article using ionbeam sputtering with ion assisted deposition (IBS-IAD). The thin filmprotective layer may be Y₃Al₅O₁₂, Y₄Al₂O₉, Er₂O₃, Gd₂O₃, Er₃Al₅O₁₂,Gd₃Al₅O₁₂, a ceramic compound comprising Y₄Al₂O₉ and a solid-solution ofY₂O₃—ZrO₂, or another rare-earth oxide. The improved erosion resistanceprovided by the thin film protective layer may improve the service lifeof the article, while reducing maintenance and manufacturing cost.Additionally, the IBS-IAD coating can be applied thick enough to providea longer life time for the article, and may have good hermetic sealingto maintain a vacuum. IBS-IAD coatings can be applied and laterrefurbished at low cost.

The thin film protective layer on the article may be highly resistant toplasma etching, and the article may have superior mechanical propertiessuch as a high flexural strength and/or a high thermal shock resistance.Performance properties of the thin film protective layer on article mayinclude a relatively high thermal capability (e.g., ability to withstandoperating temperatures of up to approximately 150° C.), a relativelylong lifespan (e.g., over approximately 2 years when used in a plasmaenvironment), low on-wafer particle and metal contamination, and astable electrostatic chuck (ESC) leakage current performance (e.g., whenthe article is an ESC).

For example, conductor lids are components used in semiconductormanufacturing for high temperature applications where forming the lidsof Al₂O₃ provides high thermal conductivity and flexural strength.However, under Fluorine chemistry exposed Al₂O₃ forms AlF particles aswell as Al metal contamination on-wafer. A thin film protective layeraccording to one embodiment on the plasma facing side of the lid cansignificantly reduce erosion and reduce Al metal contamination.

In another example, dielectric showerheads for use in semiconductormanufacturing chambers can be formed of an anodized Al base bonded to aSiC faceplate. The SiC faceplate could have a high erosion rateaffecting wafer etch uniformity. Further, the bonding of the faceplateto the anodized Al base could be damaged due to plasma exposure, suchthat the faceplate is non-uniformly bonded to the anodized Al basereducing the thermal uniformity of the showerhead. A thin filmprotective layer according to one embodiment can be applied directlyover bare Al base to improve bonding and erosion difficulties.

In another example, semiconductor manufacturing chamber liners (e.g.,chamber liner kits) can be formed of an Al substrate coated with a thinfilm protective layer according to one embodiment on a plasma-exposedside and anodized Al on a non-plasma exposed side. As a result, the thinfilm protective layer can improve on-wafer performance as well as widenthe cleaning window based on the coating porosity level.

In another example, process kit rings are made out of quartz (e.g., forconductor etch) and Si (e.g., for dielectric etch) and are positionedabout a wafer to improve plasma density uniformity for uniform etching.However, quartz and Si can have high erosion rates under various etchchemistries and can produce on-wafer particles. A thin film protectivelayer according to one embodiment can reduce erosion to improve thelifetime and reduce on-wafer defects without affecting plasmauniformity.

Electrostatic chucks (ESCs) can be formed of a ceramic puck that chucksa wafer. For example, the puck can be formed of Al₂O₃ or AlN and bebonded to an anodized Al base. Al₂O₃, AlN, and anodized Al have poorerosion resistance and, within 100 RFhr of processing time, a surface ofthe ceramic puck can be degraded due to erosion. The degradation of thesurface of the ceramic puck negatively affects wafer chucking, increasesHe leak rate, and produces on-wafer and backside particles. A thin filmprotective layer according to one embodiment can reduce erosion toimprove the lifetime of chamber components and reduce on-wafer defects.

View ports can be formed of quartz and Al₂O₃, which both have lowerosion resistance so plasma chemistry erodes these materials quicklywhich skews optical signals. A thin film protective layer according toone embodiment can reduce erosion to improve the lifetime and reduceskewing of the optical signal.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a semiconductor processing chamber 100having one or more chamber components that are coated with a thin filmprotective layer in accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention. The processing chamber 100 may be used for processes in whicha corrosive plasma environment is provided. For example, the processingchamber 100 may be a chamber for a plasma etch reactor (also known as aplasma etcher), a plasma cleaner, and so forth. Examples of chambercomponents that may include a thin film protective layer include asubstrate support assembly 148, an electrostatic chuck (ESC) 150, a ring(e.g., a process kit ring or single ring), a chamber wall, a base, a gasdistribution plate, a showerhead, a liner, a liner kit, a shield, aplasma screen, a flow equalizer, a cooling base, a chamber viewport, achamber lid 104, a nozzle, and so on. In one particular embodiment, theprotective layer is applied over a chamber lid 104 and/or a chambernozzle 132.

The thin film protective layer, which is described in greater detailbelow, is a rare earth oxide layer deposited by IBS-IAD. The thin filmprotective layer may include Y₂O₃ and Y₂O₃ based ceramics, Y₃Al₅O₁₂(YAG), Y₄Al₂O₉ (YAM), YAlO₃ (YAP), Er₂O₃ and Er₂O₃ based ceramics, Gd₂O₃and Gd₂O₃ based ceramics, Er₃Al₅O₁₂ (EAG), Gd₃Al₅O₁₂ (GAG), Nd₂O₃ andNd₂O₃ based ceramics, Er₄Al₂O₉ (EAM), ErAlO₃ (EAP), Gd₄Al₂O₉ (GdAM),GdAlO₃ (GdAP), Nd₃Al₅O₁₂ (NdAG), Nd₄Al₂O₉ (NdAM), NdAlO₃ (NdAP), and/ora ceramic compound comprising Y₄Al₂O₉ and a solid-solution of Y₂O₃—ZrO₂.The thin film protective layer may also include YF₃, Er—Y compositions(e.g., Er 80 wt % and Y 20 wt %), Er—Al—Y compositions (e.g., Er 70 wt%, Al 10 wt %, and Y 20 wt %), Er—Y—Zr compositions (e.g., Er 70 wt %, Y20 wt % and Zr-10 wt %), or Er—Al compositions (e.g., Er 80 wt % and Al20 wt %).

The thin film protective layer may also be based on a solid solutionformed by any of the aforementioned ceramics. With reference to theceramic compound comprising Y₄Al₂O₉ and a solid-solution of Y₂O₃—ZrO₂,in one embodiment the ceramic compound includes 62.93 molar ratio (mol%) Y₂O₃, 23.23 mol % ZrO₂ and 13.94 mol % Al₂O₃. In another embodiment,the ceramic compound can include Y₂O₃ in a range of 50-75 mol %, ZrO₂ ina range of 10-30 mol % and Al₂O₃ in a range of 10-30 mol %. In anotherembodiment, the ceramic compound can include Y₂O₃ in a range of 40-100mol %, ZrO₂ in a range of 0-60 mol % and Al₂O₃ in a range of 0-10 mol %.In another embodiment, the ceramic compound can include Y₂O₃ in a rangeof 40-60 mol %, ZrO₂ in a range of 30-50 mol % and Al₂O₃ in a range of10-20 mol %. In another embodiment, the ceramic compound can includeY₂O₃ in a range of 40-50 mol %, ZrO₂ in a range of 20-40 mol % and Al₂O₃in a range of 20-40 mol %. In another embodiment, the ceramic compoundcan include Y₂O₃ in a range of 70-90 mol %, ZrO₂ in a range of 0-20 mol% and Al₂O₃ in a range of 10-20 mol %. In another embodiment, theceramic compound can include Y₂O₃ in a range of 60-80 mol %, ZrO₂ in arange of 0-10 mol % and Al₂O₃ in a range of 20-40 mol %. In anotherembodiment, the ceramic compound can include Y₂O₃ in a range of 40-60mol %, ZrO₂ in a range of 0-20 mol % and Al₂O₃ in a range of 30-40 mol%. In other embodiments, other distributions may also be used for theceramic compound.

In one embodiment, an alternative ceramic compound that includes acombination of Y₂O₃, ZrO₂, Er₂O₃, Gd₂O₃ and SiO₂ is used for theprotective layer. In one embodiment, the alternative ceramic compoundcan include Y₂O₃ in a range of 40-45 mol %, ZrO₂ in a range of 0-10 mol%, Er2O3 in a range of 35-40 mol %, Gd2O3 in a range of 5-10 mol % andSiO2 in a range of 5-15 mol %. In a first example, the alternativeceramic compound includes 40 mol % Y₂O₃, 5 mol % ZrO₂, 35 mol % Er₂O₃, 5mol % Gd₂O₃ and 15 mol % SiO₂. In a second example, the alternativeceramic compound includes 45 mol % Y₂O₃, 5 mol % ZrO₂, 35 mol % Er₂O₃,10 mol % Gd₂O₃ and 5 mol % SiO₂. In a third example, the alternativeceramic compound includes 40 mol % Y₂O₃, 5 mol % ZrO₂, 40 mol % Er₂O₃, 7mol % Gd₂O₃ and 8 mol % SiO₂.

Any of the aforementioned thin film protective layers may include traceamounts of other materials such as ZrO₂, Al₂O₃, SiO₂, B₂O₃, Er₂O₃,Nd₂O₃, Nb₂O₅, CeO₂, Sm₂O₃, Yb₂O₃, or other oxides.

The thin film protective layer may be an IBS-IAD coating applied overdifferent ceramics including oxide based ceramics, Nitride basedceramics and Carbide based ceramics. Examples of oxide based ceramicsinclude SiO₂ (quartz), Al₂O₃, Y₂O₃, and so on. Examples of Carbide basedceramics include SiC, Si—SiC, and so on. Examples of Nitride basedceramics include AlN, SiN, and so on. IBS-IAD coating target materialcan be calcined powders, preformed lumps (e.g., formed by green bodypressing, hot pressing, and so on), a sintered body (e.g., having50-100% density), or a machined body (e.g., can be ceramic, metal, or ametal alloy).

In one embodiment, the processing chamber 100 includes a chamber body102 and a lid 130 that enclose an interior volume 106. The lid 130 mayhave a hole in its center, and a nozzle 132 may be inserted into thehole. The chamber body 102 may be fabricated from aluminum, stainlesssteel or other suitable material. The chamber body 102 generallyincludes sidewalls 108 and a bottom 110. Any of the lid 130, nozzle 132,sidewalls 108 and/or bottom 110 may include a thin film protectivelayer.

An outer liner 116 may be disposed adjacent the sidewalls 108 to protectthe chamber body 102. The outer liner 116 may be fabricated from and/orcoated with a thin film protective layer. In one embodiment, the outerliner 116 is fabricated from aluminum oxide and includes a thin filmprotective layer.

An exhaust port 126 may be defined in the chamber body 102, and maycouple the interior volume 106 to a pump system 128. The pump system 128may include one or more pumps and throttle valves utilized to evacuateand regulate the pressure of the interior volume 106 of the processingchamber 100.

The lid 130 may be supported on the sidewall 108 of the chamber body102. The lid 130 may be opened to allow access to the interior volume106 of the processing chamber 100, and may provide a seal for theprocessing chamber 100 while closed. A gas panel 158 may be coupled tothe processing chamber 100 to provide process and/or cleaning gases tothe interior volume 106 through the nozzle 132. The lid 130 may be aceramic such as Al₂O₃, Y₂O₃, YAG, SiO₂, AlN, SiN, SiC, Si—SiC, or aceramic compound comprising Y₄Al₂O₉ and a solid-solution of Y₂O₃—ZrO₂.The nozzle 132 may also be a ceramic, such as any of those ceramicsmentioned for the lid. The lid 130 and/or nozzle 132 may be coated witha thin film protective layer.

Examples of processing gases that may be used to process substrates inthe processing chamber 100 include halogen-containing gases, such asC₂F₆, SF₆, SiCl₄, HBr, NF₃, CF₄, CHF₃, CH₂F₃, F, NF₃, Cl₂, CCl₄, BCl₃and SiF₄, among others, and other gases such as O₂, or N₂O. Examples ofcarrier gases include N₂, He, Ar, and other gases inert to process gases(e.g., non-reactive gases). A substrate support assembly 148 is disposedin the interior volume 106 of the processing chamber 100 below the lid130. The substrate support assembly 148 holds the substrate 144 duringprocessing. A ring 146 (e.g., a single ring) may cover a portion of theelectrostatic chuck 150, and may protect the covered portion fromexposure to plasma during processing. The ring 146 may be silicon orquartz in one embodiment, and may be coated with a protective layer.

An inner liner 118 may be coated on the periphery of the substratesupport assembly 148. The inner liner 118 may be a halogen-containinggas resist material such as those discussed with reference to the outerliner 116. In one embodiment, the inner liner 118 may be fabricated fromthe same materials of the outer liner 116. Additionally, the inner liner118 may be coated with a thin film protective layer.

In one embodiment, the substrate support assembly 148 includes amounting plate 162 supporting a pedestal 152, and an electrostatic chuck150. The electrostatic chuck 150 further includes a thermally conductivebase 164 and an electrostatic puck 166 bonded to the thermallyconductive base by a bond 138, which may be a silicone bond in oneembodiment. The mounting plate 162 is coupled to the bottom 110 of thechamber body 102 and includes passages for routing utilities (e.g.,fluids, power lines, sensor leads, etc.) to the thermally conductivebase 164 and the electrostatic puck 166.

The thermally conductive base 164 and/or electrostatic puck 166 mayinclude one or more optional embedded heating elements 176, embeddedthermal isolators 174 and/or conduits 168, 170 to control a lateraltemperature profile of the support assembly 148. The conduits 168, 170may be fluidly coupled to a fluid source 172 that circulates atemperature regulating fluid through the conduits 168, 170. The embeddedisolators 174 may be disposed between the conduits 168, 170 in oneembodiment. The embedded heating elements 176 are regulated by a heaterpower source 178. The conduits 168, 170 and embedded heating elements176 may be utilized to control the temperature of the thermallyconductive base 164, thereby heating and/or cooling the electrostaticpuck 166 and a substrate (e.g., a wafer) 144 being processed. Thetemperature of the electrostatic puck 166 and the thermally conductivebase 164 may be monitored using a plurality of temperature sensors 190,192, which may be monitored using a controller 195.

The electrostatic puck 166 may further include multiple gas passagessuch as grooves, mesas and other surface features that may be formed inan upper surface of the electrostatic puck 166. The gas passages may befluidly coupled to a source of a heat transfer (or backside) gas such asHe via holes drilled in the electrostatic puck 166. In operation, thebackside gas may be provided at controlled pressure into the gaspassages to enhance the heat transfer between the electrostatic puck 166and the substrate 144.

The electrostatic puck 166 includes at least one clamping electrode 180controlled by a chucking power source 182. The at least one clampingelectrode 180 (or other electrode disposed in the electrostatic puck 166or thermally conductive base 164) may further be coupled to one or moreRF power sources 184, 186 through a matching circuit 188 for maintaininga plasma formed from process and/or other gases within the processingchamber 100. The one or more RF power sources 184, 186 are generallycapable of producing RF signal having a frequency from about 50 kHz toabout 3 GHz and a power of up to about 10,000 Watts.

FIG. 2A depicts a deposition mechanism applicable to IBS-IAD. IBS-IADmethods include deposition processes which incorporate sputtering in thepresence of ion bombardment to form plasma resistant coatings, such asthin film protective coatings, as described herein. IBS-IAD methods maybe performed in the presence of a reactive gas species, such as O₂, N₂,halogens, etc. Such reactive species may burn off surface organiccontaminants prior to and/or during deposition. Additionally, theIBS-IAD deposition process can be controlled by partial pressure of O₂ions in embodiments. For example, a Y₂O₃ coating can be made byevaporation of a Yttrium metal and bleeding of oxygen ions to formoxides the Yttrium material on the surface of the component.Alternatively, a ceramic target can be used with no oxygen or reducedoxygen.

As shown, the thin film protective layer 215 is formed on an article 210by an accumulation of deposition materials 202 in the presence ofenergetic particles 203 such as ions. The deposition materials 202 mayinclude atoms, ions, radicals, and so on. The energetic particles 203may impinge and compact the thin film protective layer 215 as it isformed, for example, to a thickness of less than about 1000 microns. Inone example, the thickness of the thin film protective layer 215 is in arange from about 0.5 microns to about 20 microns.

FIG. 2B depicts a schematic of an IBS-IAD deposition apparatus. Asshown, a sputtering ion source 252 provides sputtering ions 201 that areaccelerated towards a material source 250 such that the impact of thesputtering ions 201 on the material source 250 ejects depositionmaterial 202 from the material source 250 that are directed toward andimpact on the article 210 to form the thin film protective layer. Thedeposition material 202 may be, for example, a stream of atoms. Forexample, the sputtering ions 201 can be a gas, such as Argon. Thematerial source 250 can be formed of the material that forms the thinfilm or components of the thin film, as described herein. In anembodiment, a device (e.g., a planetary or rotating device) can move orrotate the article 210 such that the thin film is uniform and evenlydistributed over desired areas of the article. In an embodiment, chargebuild-up on the target 250 can be avoided with the use of RF sputteringwhere the polarity of the sputtering ion source 252 is varied at a highrate.

Further, an energetic particle source 255 provides a flux of theenergetic particles 203. Both the stream of atoms 202 and the flux ofenergetic particles impinge upon the article 210 throughout the IBS-IADprocess. The energetic particle source 255 may be an Oxygen or other ionsource. The energetic particle source 255 may also provide other typesof energetic particles such as inert radicals, neutron atoms, andnano-sized particles which come from particle generation sources (e.g.,from plasma, reactive gases or from the material source that provide thedeposition materials).

The material source (e.g., a target body) 250 used to provide thedeposition materials 202 may be a bulk sintered ceramic corresponding tothe same ceramic that the thin film protective layer 215 is to becomposed of. For example, the material source may be a bulk sinteredceramic compound body as described above, or bulk sintered YAG, Er₂O₃,Gd₂O₃, Er₃Al₅O₁₂, or Gd₃Al₅O₁₂, or other mentioned ceramics. Forexample, the target body material can be in the form of bulk material.The density of the bulk material can be from fully dense material topartially dense material (e.g., up to 80% of the theoretical maximumdensity). In one embodiment, target body 250 is bonded to a coolingbacking plate (e.g., via a metallic bond). The cooling backing plate mayprevent the target body 250 from heating above a threshold temperatureduring deposition. The threshold temperature may be a configuration setin accordance with a deposition recipe. In an embodiment, reactivespecies may also be provided during deposition of the plasma resistantcoating. In one embodiment, the energetic particles 203 include at leastone of non-reactive species (e.g., Ar) or reactive species (e.g., 0). Infurther embodiments, reactive species such as CO and halogens (Cl, F,Br, etc.) may also be introduced during the formation of a plasmaresistant coating to further increase the tendency to selectively removedeposited material most weakly bonded to the thin film protective layer215.

With IBS-IAD processes, the energetic particles 203 may be controlled bythe energetic ion (or other particle) source 255 independently of otherdeposition parameters. According to the energy (e.g., velocity), densityand incident angle of the energetic ion flux, composition, structure,crystalline orientation and grain size of the thin film protective layermay be manipulated.

Additional parameters that may be adjusted for the IBS-IAD depositionprocess are a temperature of the article (e.g., a chamber component)during deposition as well as the duration of the deposition. In oneembodiment, an IBS-IAD deposition chamber or other IBS-IAD depositionmachine (and the chamber component on which the thin film protectivelayer is to be deposited) is heated to a starting temperature of 100° C.or less prior to deposition. The temperature of the chamber and of thechamber component may then be maintained at the starting temperatureduring deposition. In one embodiment, the IBS-IAD chamber includes heatlamps which perform the heating. In an alternative embodiment, theIBS-IAD chamber and the chamber component are not heated. A highertemperature during deposition may increase a density of the protectivelayer but may also increase a mechanical stress of the protective layer.Active cooling can be added to the IBS-IAD chamber to maintain a lowtemperature during coating. The low temperature may be maintained at anytemperature at or below 100° C. in one embodiment. A lower temperaturecan result in the deposited protective layer having a more amorphousstructure.

Additional parameters that may be adjusted are working distance andangle of incidence. The working distance is the distance between thematerial source 250 and the article 210. In one embodiment, the workingdistance is 0.2 to 1.0 meters. Decreasing the working distance increasesa deposition rate and increases an effectiveness of the ion energy.However, decreasing the working distance below a particular point mayreduce a uniformity of the protective layer. The angle of incidence isan angle at which the deposition materials 202 strike the article 210.In one embodiment the angle of incidence is 10-90 degrees, with an angleof incidence of about 30 degrees in one particular embodiment.

IBS-IAD coatings can be applied over a wide range of surface conditionswith roughness from about 0.5 micro-inches (μin) to about 180 μin.However, smoother surface facilitates uniform coating coverage. Thecoating thickness can be up to about 300 microns (μm). In production,coating thickness on components can be assessed by purposely adding arare earth oxide based colored agent such Nd₂O₃, Sm₂O₃, Er₂O₃, etc. atthe bottom of a coating layer stack. The thickness can also beaccurately measured using ellipsometry.

IBS-IAD coatings can be amorphous or crystalline depending on therare-earth oxide composite used to create the coating. For example EAGand YAG are amorphous coatings whereas Er₂O₃ and the ceramic compoundcomprising Y₄Al₂O₉ and a solid-solution of Y₂O₃—ZrO₂ are typicallycrystalline. Amorphous coatings are more conformal and reduce latticemismatch induced epitaxial cracks whereas crystalline coatings are moreerosion resistant.

A deposited coating architecture can be a bi-layer or a multi-layerstructure. In a bilayer architecture, an amorphous layer can bedeposited as a buffer layer to minimize epitaxial cracks. A crystallinelayer may be deposited on the top of the amorphous layer. Thecrystalline layer may be erosion resistant. In a multi-layer design,layer materials may be used to cause a smooth thermal gradient (agradient of coefficients of thermal expansion) from the substrate to thetop layer.

Co-deposition of multiple targets using multiple ion sputtering sourcesand targets can be achieved to create thicker coatings as well aslayered architectures. For example, two targets having the same materialtype may be used at the same time. Each target may be bombarded by adifferent ion sputtering source. This may increase a deposition rate anda thickness of the protective layer. In another example, two targets maybe different ceramic materials. A first ion sputtering source maybombard a first target to deposit a first protective layer, and a secondion sputtering source may subsequently bombard the second target to forma second protective layer having a different material composition thanthe first protective layer.

Post coating heat treatment can be used to achieve improved coatingproperties. For example, it can be used to convert an amorphous coatingto a crystalline coating with higher erosion resistance. Another exampleis to improve the coating to substrate bonding strength by formation ofa reaction zone or transition layer.

In one embodiment, components are processed in parallel in an IBS-IADchamber. For example, up to five components may be processed in parallelin one embodiment. Each component may be supported by a differentfixture. Alternatively, a single fixture may be configured to holdmultiple components. The fixtures may move the supported componentsduring deposition.

In one embodiment, a fixture to hold an article (e.g., a chambercomponent) can be designed out of metal components such as cold rolledsteel or ceramics such as Al₂O₃, Y₂O₃, etc. The fixture may be used tosupport the article above, below, or in front of the material source andion sputtering source. The fixture can have a chucking ability to chuckthe component for safer and easier handling as well as during coating.Also, the fixture can have a feature to orient or align the article. Inone embodiment, the fixture can be repositioned and/or rotated about oneor more axes to change an orientation of the supported article to thesource material. The fixture may also be repositioned to change aworking distance and/or angle of incidence before and/or duringdeposition. The fixture can have cooling or heating channels to controlthe article temperature during coating. The ability to reposition androtate the article may enable maximum coating coverage ofthree-dimensional surfaces such as holes since IBS-IAD is typically aline of sight process.

FIGS. 3-4 illustrate cross sectional side views of articles (e.g., lids,nozzles, rings, dielectric chucks, showerheads, etc.) covered by one ormore thin film protective layers. Referring to FIG. 3, a body 305 of thearticle 300 includes a thin film stack 306 having a first thin filmprotective layer 308 and a second thin film protective layer 310.Alternatively, the article 300 may include only a single thin filmprotective layer 308 on the body 305. In one embodiment, the thin filmprotective layers 308, 310 have a thickness of up to about 1000 μm. In afurther embodiment, the thin film protective layers have a thickness ofbelow about 20 microns, and a thickness between about 0.5 microns toabout 7 microns in one particular embodiment. A total thickness of thethin film protective layer stack in one embodiment is 1000 μm or less.

The thin film protective layers 308, 310 are deposited ceramic layersthat may be formed on the body 305 of the article 300 using an IBS-IADprocess. The IBS-IAD deposited thin film protective layers 308, 310 mayhave a relatively low film stress (e.g., as compared to a film stresscaused by plasma spraying or sputtering). The relatively low film stressmay cause the lower surface of the body 305 to be very flat, with acurvature of less than about 50 microns over the entire body for a bodywith a 12 inch diameter. The IBS-IAD deposited thin film protectivelayers 308, 310 may additionally have a porosity that is less than 1%,and less than about 0.1% in some embodiments. This low porosity mayenable a lid having a protective layer to provide an effective vacuumseal during processing. Additionally, the IBS-IAD deposited protectivelayer may have a low crack density and a high adhesion to the body 305.Additionally, the IBS-IAD deposited protective layers 308, 310 may bedeposited without first roughening the upper surface of the body 305 orperforming other time consuming surface preparation steps.

Examples of ceramics that may be used to form the thin film protectivelayer 208 include Y₃Al₅O₁₂, Y₄Al₂O₉, Er₂O₃, Gd₂O₃, Er₃Al₅O₁₂, Gd₃Al₅O₁₂,a ceramic compound comprising Y₄Al₂O₉ and a solid-solution of Y₂O₃—ZrO₂(Y₂O₃—ZrO₂ solid solution), or any of the other ceramic materialspreviously identified. Other Er based and/or Gd based plasma resistantrare earth oxides may also be used to form the thin film protectivelayers 308, 310. In one embodiment, the same ceramic material is notused for two adjacent thin film protective layers. However, in anotherembodiment adjacent layers may be composed of the same ceramic material.

Components having IBS-IAD thin film protective layers may be used inapplications that apply a wide range of temperatures. For example,components with IBS-IAD thin film protective layers may be used inprocesses having temperatures at 0° C. to temperatures at 1000° C. Thecomponents may be used at high temperatures (e.g., at or above 300° C.)without cracking caused by thermal shock.

Note that the Y₃Al₅O₁₂, Y₄Al₂O₉, Er₂O₃, Gd₂O₃, Er₃Al₅O₁₂, Gd₃Al₅O₁₂, andthe ceramic compound may be modified such that the material propertiesand characteristics identified above may vary by up to 30% in someembodiments. Accordingly, the described values for these materialproperties should be understood as example achievable values. Theceramic thin film protective layers described herein should not beinterpreted as being limited to the provided values.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross sectional side view of another embodiment ofan article 400 having a thin film protective layer stack 406 depositedover a body 405 of the article 400. Article 400 is similar to article400, except that thin film protective layer stack 406 has four thin filmprotective layers 408, 410, 415, 418.

The thin film protective layer stacks (such as those illustrated) mayhave any number of thin film protective layers. The thin film protectivelayers in a stack may all have the same thickness, or they may havevarying thicknesses. Each of the thin film protective layers may have athickness of less than approximately 20 microns in some embodiments. Inone example, a first layer 408 may have a thickness of 10 microns, and asecond layer 410 may have a thickness of 10 microns. In another example,first layer 408 may be a YAG layer having a thickness of 5 microns,second layer 410 may be a compound ceramic layer having a thickness of 5microns, third layer 415 may be a YAG layer having a thickness of 5microns, and fourth layer 418 may be a compound ceramic layer having athickness of 5 microns.

The selection of the number of ceramic layers and the composition of theceramic layers to use may be based on a desired application and/or atype of article being coated. EAG and YAG thin film protective layersformed by IBS-IAD typically have an amorphous structure. In contrast,the IBS-IAD deposited compound ceramic and Er₂O₃ layers typically have acrystalline or nano-crystalline structure. Crystalline andnano-crystalline ceramic layers may generally be more erosion resistantthan amorphous ceramic layers. However, in some instances thin filmceramic layers having a crystalline structure or nano-crystallinestructure may experience occasional vertical cracks (cracks that runapproximately in the direction of the film thickness and approximatelyperpendicular to the coated surface). Such vertical cracks may be causedby lattice mismatch and may be points of attack for plasma chemistries.Each time the article is heated and cooled, the mismatch in coefficientsof thermal expansion between the thin film protective layer and thesubstrate that it coats can cause stress on the thin film protectivelayer. Such stress may be concentrated at the vertical cracks. This maycause the thin film protective layer to eventually peel away from thesubstrate that it coats. In contrast, if there are not vertical cracks,then the stress is approximately evenly distributed across the thinfilm. Accordingly, in one embodiment a first layer 408 in the thin filmprotective layer stack 406 is an amorphous ceramic such as YAG or EAG,and the second layer 410 in the thin film protective layer stack 406 isa crystalline or nano-crystalline ceramic such as the ceramic compoundor Er₂O₃. In such an embodiment, the second layer 410 may providegreater plasma resistance as compared to the first layer 408. By formingthe second layer 410 over the first layer 408 rather than directly overthe body 405, the first layer 408 acts as a buffer to minimize latticemismatch on the subsequent layer. Thus, a lifetime of the second layer410 may be increased.

In another example, each of the body, Y₃Al₅O₁₂ (YAG), Y₄Al₂O₉, Er₂O₃,Gd₂O₃, Er₃Al₅O₁₂, Gd₃Al₅O₁₂, the ceramic compound comprising Y₄Al₂O₉ anda solid-solution of Y₂O₃—ZrO₂, and other ceramics may have a differentcoefficient of thermal expansion. The greater the mismatch in thecoefficient of thermal expansion between two adjacent materials, thegreater the likelihood that one of those materials will eventuallycrack, peel away, or otherwise lose its bond to the other material. Theprotective layer stacks 306, 406 may be formed in such a way to minimizemismatch of the coefficient of thermal expansion between adjacent layers(or between a layer and a body 305, 405). For example, body 405 may bealumina, and EAG may have a coefficient of thermal expansion that isclosest to that of alumina, followed by the coefficient of thermalexpansion for YAG, followed by the coefficient of thermal expansion forthe compound ceramic. Accordingly, first layer 408 may be EAG, secondlayer 410 may be YAG, and third layer 415 may be the compound ceramic inone embodiment.

In another example, the layers in the protective layer stack 406 may bealternating layers of two different ceramics. For example, first layer408 and third layer 415 may be YAG, and second layer 410 and fourthlayer 418 may be the compound ceramic. Such alternating layers mayprovide advantages similar to those set forth above in cases where onematerial used in the alternating layers is amorphous and the othermaterial used in the alternating layers is crystalline ornano-crystalline.

In some embodiments, one of more of the layers in the thin filmprotective layer stacks 306, 406 are transition layers formed using aheat treatment. If the body 305, 405 is a ceramic body, then a hightemperature heat treatment may be performed to promote interdiffusionbetween a thin film protective layer and the body. Additionally, theheat treatment may be performed to promote interdiffusion betweenadjacent thin film protective layers or between a thick protective layerand a thin film protective layer. Notably, the transition layer may be anon-porous layer. The transition layer may act as a diffusion bondbetween two ceramics, and may provide improved adhesion between theadjacent ceramics. This may help prevent a protective layer fromcracking, peeling off, or stripping off during plasma processing.

The thermal treatment may be a heat treatment at up to about 1400-1600degrees C. for a duration of up to about 24 hours (e.g., 3-6 hours inone embodiment). This may create an inter-diffusion layer between afirst thin film protective layer and one or more of an adjacent ceramicbody or second thin film protective layer. If the ceramic body is Al₂O₃,and the protective layer is composed of a compound ceramic Y₄Al₂O₉ (YAM)and a solid solution Y₂-xZr_(x)O₃ (Y₂O₃—ZrO₂ solid solution), then aY₃Al₅O₁₂ (YAG) interface layer will be formed. Similarly, a heattreatment will cause a transition layer of EAG to form between Er₂O₃ andAl₂O₃. A heat treatment will also cause a transition layer of YAG toform between Y₂O₃ and Al₂O₃. A heat treatment may also cause GAG to formbetween Gd₂O₃ and Al₂O₃. A heat treatment of yttria stabilized zirconia(YSZ) over Al₂O₃ can form a transition layer of the compound ceramic ofY₄Al₂O₉ (YAM) and a solid solution Y₂-xZr_(x)O₃. Other transition layersmay be formed between other adjacent ceramics.

In one embodiment, a coloring agent is added during the deposition ofthe first protective layer 308, 408. Accordingly, when the secondprotective layer 310, 410 wears away, an operator may have a visualqueue that it is time to refurbish or exchange the lid or nozzle.

Thin film protective layers according to an embodiment provide aconforming coating that adopts the substrates microstructure, that isdense with limited or no cracking, that is amorphous and that ishermetic. For example, an He leak for an embodiment is 4×10⁻¹⁰.

FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a process 500 for forming a thinfilm protective layer over a body of a chamber component. At block 505of process 500, a component is provided. The component may have a bulksintered ceramic body. The bulk sintered ceramic body may be Al₂O₃,Y₂O₃, SiO₂, or the ceramic compound comprising Y₄Al₂O₉ and asolid-solution of Y₂O₃—ZrO₂.

At block 520, an IBS-IAD process is performed to deposit a rare earthoxide protective layer onto at least one surface of the component. TheIBS-IAD process may be performed by sputtering a material that is to bedeposited and bombarding the material with ions.

The thin film protective layer may be Y₃Al₆O₁₂, Y₄Al₂O₉, Er₂O₃, Gd₂O₃,Er₃Al₆O₁₂, Gd₃Al₆O₁₂, or the ceramic compound of Y₄Al₂O₉ and asolid-solution of Y₂O₃—ZrO₂, or other rare earth oxides describedherein. A deposition rate for the thin film protective layer may beabout 0.02-20 Angstroms per second (A/s) in one embodiment, and may bevaried by tuning deposition parameters. In one embodiment, a depositionrate of 0.25-1 A/s is initially used to achieve a conforming welladhering coating on the substrate. A deposition rate of 2-10 A/s maythen be used for depositing a remainder of a thin film protective layerto achieve a thicker coating in a shorter time. The thin film protectivelayers may be very conforming, may be uniform in thickness, and may havea good adhesion to the body/substrate that they are deposited on.

In one embodiment, the material includes a coloring agent that willcause the deposited protective layer to have a particular color.Examples of coloring agents that may be used include Nd₂O₃, Sm₂O₃ andEr₂O₃. Other coloring agents may also be used.

At block 525, a determination is made regarding whether to deposit anyadditional thin film protective layers. If an additional thin filmprotective layer is to be deposited, the process continues to block 530.At block 530, another thin film protective layer is formed over thefirst thin film protective layer. The other thin film protective layermay be composed of a ceramic that is different than a ceramic of thefirst thin film protective layer. Alternatively, the other thin filmprotective layer may be composed of the same ceramic or ceramics thatwere used to form the first protective layer.

In one embodiment, the other thin film protective layer does not includeany coloring agent. Accordingly, the subsequent protective layers mayhave a different color than the bottom protective layer, even if theyare composed of the almost the same ceramic materials. This causes thelid or nozzle to change color when the protective layer stack is erodeddown to the bottom protective layer. The change in color may signal toan operator that it is time to change the lid or nozzle of a processingchamber.

After a subsequent protective layer is deposited, the method returns toblock 525. If at block 525 no additional thin film protective layers areto be applied, the process proceeds to block 535. At block 535, asurface of the protective layer is polished. The surface may be polishedusing chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) or other polishing procedures.In one embodiment, the surface of the top protective layer is polishedto a surface roughness of below 8 micro-inches. In another embodiment,the surface of the top protective layer is polished to a surface ofbelow 6 micro-inches.

Process 500 may be performed on a new component or on used components torefurbish the used components. In one embodiment, used components arepolished before performing process 500. For example, previous protectivelayers may be removed by polishing before performing process 500.

With IBS-IAD processes, the energetic particles may be controlled by theenergetic ion (or other particle) source independently of otherdeposition parameters. According to the energy (e.g., velocity), densityand incident angle of the energetic ion flux, composition, structure,crystalline orientation and grain size of the thin film protective layermay be manipulated. Additional parameters that may be adjusted are atemperature of the article during deposition as well as the duration ofthe deposition. The ion energy may be roughly categorized into lowenergy ion assist and high energy ion assist. Low energy ion assist mayinclude a voltage of about 230V and a current of about 5 A. High energyion assist may include a voltage of about 270V and a current of about 7A. The low and high energy for the ion assist is not limited to thevalues mentioned herein. The high and low level designation mayadditionally depend on the type of the ions used and/or the geometry ofthe chamber used to perform the IBS-IAD process. The ions are projectedwith a higher velocity with high energy ion assist than with low energyion assist. Substrate (article) temperature during deposition may beroughly divided into low temperature (around 120-150° C. in oneembodiment which is typical room temperature) and high temperature(around 270° C. in one embodiment). For high temperature IBS-IADdeposition processes, the chamber component may be heated prior to andduring deposition.

TABLE 1 IBS-IAD Optimized Coating Process Parameters Parameter AffectsTypical Range Voltage (V) Density & 188 50-500 Conformance Current (A)Density & 7 2-10 Conformance Temperature (° C.) Film Stress, 150 50-400Crystalinity Deposition rate (A/s) Conformance 1 0.01-20   Angle ofincidence Ability to coat 3D 30 0-90 (degrees) geometry Working distance(in.) Coating thickness, 50 10-300 deposition rate

Table 1 shows optimized IBS-IAD processing parameters for coating acomponent, in accordance with one embodiment. Table 1 additionally showsprocessing parameter ranges that may be used in some embodiments todeposit thin film protective layers. In other embodiments, wider rangesof some of the processing values may be used. In one embodiment, anIBS-IAD process is performed using a voltage of 150-270 Volts (V), acurrent of 5-7 Amps (A), a temperature of 100-270° C., a deposition rateof 0.01-20 Angstroms per second (A/s), an angle of incidence of 0-90degrees, and a working distance of 10-300 inches (in.). In anotherembodiment, an IBS-IAD process is performed using a voltage of 50-500V,a current of 1-300 A, a temperature of 20-500° C., a deposition rate of0.01-20 A/s, a working distance of 10-300 inches, and an angle ofincidence of 10-90 degrees. In another embodiment, the deposition rateis about 1.5 A/sec, a start pressure is 5×10⁻⁵ mbar, a temperature ofabout 115 to about 120 degrees C., Oxygen flow rate of 40 sccm, and Arflow rate of 18 sccm.

The ion assist energy may be used to densify the coating and toaccelerate the deposition of material on the surface of the lid ornozzle. The ion assist energy can be modified by adjusting the voltageand/or the current of the ion source. The current and voltage can beadjusted to achieve high and low coating density, to manipulate thestress of the coating, and also to affect the crystallinity of thecoating. The ion assist energy can be varied from 50-500 V and from 2-20A. The deposition rate can be varied from 0.25 to 10 A/s.

In one embodiment, a high ion assist energy used with a ceramic compoundcomprising Y₄Al₂O₉ and a solid-solution of Y₂O₃—ZrO₂ forms an amorphousprotective layer and a low ion assist energy used with the ceramiccompound comprising Y₄Al₂O₉ and a solid-solution of Y₂O₃—ZrO₂ forms acrystalline protective layer. The ion assist energy can also be used tochange a stoichiometry of the protective layer. For example, a metallictarget can be used, and during deposition metallic material converts toa metal oxide by the incorporation of oxygen ions at the surface of thelid or nozzle. Also, using an oxygen gun the level of any metal oxidecoating can be changed and optimized to achieve desired coatingproperties. For example most rare earth oxides lose oxygen inside avacuum chamber. By bleeding more oxygen inside the chamber the oxygendeficiency of the oxide coating material can be compensated.

Coating temperature can be controlled by using heaters (e.g., heatlamps) and by controlling the deposition rate. A higher deposition ratewill typically cause the temperature of the lid or nozzle to increase.The deposition temperature can be varied to control a film stress,crystallinity, and so on. Temperature can be varied from 20° C. to 500°C.

The working distance can be adjusted to modify uniformity, density anddeposition rate. Working distance can be varied from 10-300 inches. Thedeposition angle can be varied by the location of the electron beam gunor electron beam hearth, or by changing a location of the lid or nozzlein relation to the electron beam gun or electron beam hearth. Byoptimizing the deposition angle, a uniform coating in three dimensionalgeometries can be achieved. Deposition angle can be varied from 0-90degrees, and from 10-90 degrees in one embodiment.

In one embodiment, an IBS-IAD process is performed using a voltage ofabout 188 V in combination with other processing parameters having anyof the associated processing parameter ranges. In one embodiment, anIBS-IAD process is performed using a current of about 7 A in combinationwith other processing parameters having any of the associated processingparameter ranges. In one embodiment, an IBS-IAD process is performedusing temperature of less than about 100° C. in combination with otherprocessing parameters having any of the associated processing parameterranges. In one embodiment, an IBS-IAD process is performed using adeposition rate of 1 A/s in combination with other processing parametershaving any of the associated processing parameter ranges. In a furtherembodiment, a deposition rate of 2 A/s is used until a deposited thinfilm reaches a thickness of 1 μm, after which a deposition rate of 1 A/sis used. In another embodiment, a deposition rate of 0.25-1 A/s isinitially used to achieve a conforming well adhering coating on thesubstrate. A deposition rate of 2-10 A/s may then be used for depositinga remainder of a thin film protective layer to achieve a thicker coatingin a shorter time.

In one embodiment, an IBS-IAD process is performed using an angle ofincidence of about 30 degrees in combination with other processingparameters having any of the associated processing parameter ranges. Inone embodiment, an IBS-IAD process is performed using a working distanceof about 50 inches in combination with other processing parametershaving any of the associated processing parameter ranges.

The preceding description sets forth numerous specific details such asexamples of specific systems, components, methods, and so forth, inorder to provide a good understanding of several embodiments of thepresent invention. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art,however, that at least some embodiments of the present invention may bepracticed without these specific details. In other instances, well-knowncomponents or methods are not described in detail or are presented insimple block diagram format in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuringthe present invention. Thus, the specific details set forth are merelyexemplary. Particular implementations may vary from these exemplarydetails and still be contemplated to be within the scope of the presentinvention.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “anembodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic described in connection with the embodiment is includedin at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrase “in oneembodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout thisspecification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.In addition, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” ratherthan an exclusive “or.” When the term “about” or “approximately” is usedherein, this is intended to mean that the nominal value presented isprecise within ±30%.

Although the operations of the methods herein are shown and described ina particular order, the order of the operations of each method may bealtered so that certain operations may be performed in an inverse orderor so that certain operation may be performed, at least in part,concurrently with other operations. In another embodiment, instructionsor sub-operations of distinct operations may be in an intermittentand/or alternating manner.

It is to be understood that the above description is intended to beillustrative, and not restrictive. Many other embodiments will beapparent to those of skill in the art upon reading and understanding theabove description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, bedetermined with reference to the appended claims, along with the fullscope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

What is claimed is:
 1. An article comprising: a body; and a conformalprotective layer on at least one surface of the body, wherein theconformal protective layer is a plasma resistant rare earth-containingfilm having a thickness of less than 1000 μm, wherein a porosity of theconformal protective layer is less than 1%, and wherein the plasmaresistant rare earth-containing film consists essentially of 40 mol % toless than 100 mol % of Y₂O₃, over 0 mol % to 60 mol % of ZrO₂, and 0 mol% to 9 mol % of Al₂O₃.
 2. The article of claim 1, the conformalprotective layer having been formed by ion beam sputtering with ionassisted deposition.
 3. The article of claim 1, wherein the conformalprotective layer has a thickness of 0.2-20 μm.
 4. The article of claim1, wherein the porosity of the conformal protective layer is below 0.1%.5. The article of claim 1, wherein the plasma resistant rareearth-containing film consists of 40 mol % to less than 100 mol % ofY₂O₃ and over 0 mol % to 60 mol % of ZrO₂.
 6. The article of claim 1,further comprising: a second protective layer on the conformalprotective layer, wherein the second protective layer is an additionalplasma resistant rare earth oxide film having a thickness of 0.2-30 μm,and wherein the conformal protective layer comprises a coloring agentthat causes the conformal protective layer to have a different colorthan the second protective layer.
 7. The article of claim 1, wherein thebody is a bulk sintered ceramic body comprising at least one of Al₂O₃,Y₂O₃, SiO₂, SiN, Si, and SiC.
 8. The article of claim 1, wherein theconformal protective layer is usable in operating temperatures of up toapproximately 150° C. without damaging the conformal protective layer.9. The article of claim 1, wherein the conformal protective layer has alifespan of over 2 years in a processing chamber that exposes thearticle to a plasma environment.
 10. The article of claim 1, wherein thebody has a diameter of about 12 inches, and wherein a film stress of theconformal protective layer causes a curvature of less than about 50microns over the diameter of the body.
 11. The article of claim 1,wherein the conformal protective layer is a hermetic coating that has asame microstructure as the body.
 12. A method comprising: performing ionbeam sputtering with ion assisted deposition to deposit a protectivelayer on at least one surface of a component, wherein the protectivelayer is a plasma resistant rare earth-containing film having athickness of less than 1000 μm, wherein a porosity of the protectivelayer is below 1%, and wherein the plasma resistant rareearth-containing film consists essentially of 40 mol % to less than 100mol % of Y₂O₃, over 0 mol % to 60 mol % of ZrO₂, and 0 mol % to 9 mol %of Al₂O₃.
 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: maintainingthe component at a temperature in a range from about 100 degrees C. toabout 400 degrees C. during the performing of the ion beam sputteringwith ion assisted deposition.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein theprotective layer has a thickness of 0.2-20 μm, and wherein a depositionrate of 0.25-5 Angstroms per second is used to deposit the protectivelayer.
 15. The method of claim 12, wherein the plasma resistant rareearth-containing film consists of 40 mol % to less than 100 mol % ofY₂O₃ and over 0 mol % to 60 mol % of ZrO₂.
 16. The method of claim 12,wherein the protective layer has a thickness of 0.2-20 μm.
 17. Themethod of claim 12, wherein the porosity of the protective layer isbelow 0.1%.
 18. The method of claim 12, further comprising: performingion beam sputtering with ion assisted deposition to deposit a secondprotective layer on the conformal protective layer, wherein the secondprotective layer is an additional plasma resistant rare earth oxide filmhaving a thickness of 0.2-30 μm, and wherein the conformal protectivelayer comprises a coloring agent that causes the conformal protectivelayer to have a different color than the second protective layer. 19.The method of claim 12, wherein the body is a bulk sintered ceramic bodycomprising at least one of Al₂O₃, Y₂O₃, SiO₂, SiN, Si, and SiC.
 20. Themethod of claim 12, wherein the surface of the component has a diameterof about 12 inches, and wherein a film stress of the conformalprotective layer causes a curvature of less than about 50 microns overthe diameter of the surface of the component.